Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner has announced that he will not be seeking re-election when his term ends in 2020.

Lorne Green, who defeated independent Stephen Bett to become the Conservative commissioner in May 2016, said a change in family circumstances had prompted his decision.

He said: “I take enormous pride in serving the Norfolk community as its Police and Crime Commissioner. I take even greater pride in being a dad and granddad.

“My wife and I have had a recent major and welcome change in family circumstances. Our elder son, his wife and two young grandchildren have returned to live in Norfolk in recent months after an absence abroad of 12 years.

“Our younger son was married in recent weeks and he and his wife are returning to live and work here after living abroad for some years.

“My wife and I want to devote more time together to supporting and enjoying our family. Accordingly I will not be seeking re-election at the next Police and Crime Commissioner election in 2020.

“I will, of course, continue to serve the Norfolk community with undiminished commitment and enthusiasm until that time.”

Mr Green has recently found himself at loggerheads with fellow Conservatives at Norfolk County Council over the future of the county’s fire service.

Norfolk County Council currently runs the fire service, but the Conservative government last year paved the way for police and crime commissioners to take control.

Mr Green said an independent draft business case had shown £10m could be saved in a decade if the service was under his control, with more efficient services and better joint working.

He launched a consultation over the future of the service, putting him at odds with the Tory-run county council, which unanimously agreed to submit their response to the consultation, urging that the service remains in County Hall’s hands.

Mr Green said his decision to step down in 2020 would not affect his approach to deciding how to proceed over the fire service’s future.

He said analysis of the “thousands upon thousands” of public responses would be completed within weeks and he would then decide what to do.

He said: “If there is a very strong view from the Norfolk public against the commissioner taking on shared governance then I would give an undertaking to halt the process.

“But if there is a strong view from the Norfolk public that they would want to see a change of governance then I would be interested to see if Norfolk County Council will accede to that.”

Mr Green was a Canadian diplomat for 30 years with postings in South Asia and Eastern Europe. He was married in Snettisham and has lived in Norfolk for almost 20 years.

He was in charge of the Canadian Embassy in Yugoslavia during the conflict. He served on the NATO Nuclear Planning Group in Brussels during the cruise missile controversy of the 1980s and was director of Nuclear and Arms Control Policy in the Canadian Defence Ministry.